You Can Really Screw Up Your Eyes With a Nerf Gun, Doctors Warn

Nerf wars are all in good fun...until all of the sudden they aren't. In a new study out in
the journal
BMJ Case Reports
, a pair of doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London are raising the alert about the danger of Nerf guns, which can seriously screw up your eyes if your friends are being stupid.

Their case report looks at three separate incidents over a three month period in which patients showed up in the hospital emergency department with eye injuries resulting from a Nerf gun. In one case, the Nerf gun was armed with
off-brand bullets
with firmer heads, according to CNN. After being struck in the face with flying foam darts, two adult patients and an 11-year-old sustained internal bleeding in the eye.

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In case it's not clear, internal bleeding in your eye is not a good thing. It can result in pain, headaches and blurry vision. With
complications
, the injuries could lead to serious eye conditions such as glaucoma, a disease that over time results in loss of vision.

"Significant Nerf gun ocular injuries are not reported in the literature, as far as we know," the doctors write. "This case series serves to raise awareness of the seriousness of Nerf gun ocular injuries."

The doctors suggest that protective eye gear might be advisable when engaging in Nerf warfare. If you want to avoid going blind playing with a Nerf gun, that's probably good advice. Take it from the pros: